we do, but its jealousy because we have the best billeting, chow, facilities and can go to college a lot easier than the other branches.
Yeah you bastards have/had it made.
chairforce :biggrin:
But that's just along the inter-service joking. Considering the fact that I basically got stuck in the full-time civilian, part-time military role, (Active/AGR could be an option down the road, but my life might be different then though so who knows), I'm still in a civilian role most of the time. And I'll gladly pay respect to a member of any military branch, and also do so regardless of their specific job title, rank, or profession. Be they a cook on a carrier, an IT specialist in the Air Force, an infantryman, a Marine, or a more elite unit... they all are to be respected imho. I'll joke with them and about them (and receive jokes thrown my way, and laugh with them), but I respect them all the same. It's like poking fun at your best friend in the whole world - you probably respect them, but you also typically relate with them in some way, so it's very easy to draw material for jokes. Most military jokes are frat-style, and typically good-natured. Sadly, there are some in the military who are ignorant and rarely keep to the "all in good fun" ways... but those types are found in all walks of life, so we can't be so lucky as to find ourselves without such types of people.
But I personally find no qualms with people who never wanted to partake in, or even avoided, the military life. Some people just don't feel it's for them, and who am I to complain? If they don't want to be in, I don't want them to be in - it leads to better quality soldiers, ones who are more willing to take to the task at hand. Even if they don't want it but just want the bonuses the DoD, somewhere in their head they are willing. And if they aren't, well, we'll get rid of them and likely before they deploy. While not every single person in the military is the best possible military member, the overall combination is exactly how I'd like it. And if anything, I want it to improve, and I don't know if our society is ready for that challenge. We are a far more complicated society, and far weaker-minded, than most other nations who employ mandatory military service. We are larger and we have unique issues here, and most importantly in this comparison, nations like Israel are much smaller in population, and have very unique situations. And hell, that population deserves to proudly display such determination and pride of service - the people have been persecuted by everyone and have been actively fighting neighbors and extremists. That kind of environment tends to produce attitudes of pride and elation when you get to participate in something that might lead to helping bring an end to all of that shit you have to deal with.
Our problems are far more remote, and this means the general population is complacent and more involved with what are otherwise mundane problems. We still get that way as members of the military, only when the situation overseas is specifically in mind does that change. It's the way we've been raised, because everything we've ever had to deal with has generally been very remote. WWII being the real exception. I mean, look at the surge in patriotism following Pearl Harbor (and to a sickening and saddening degree at times), and the surge following 9/11 was very similar. The military was the strongest ever for a year or two following... but quickly dropped off in a few years as the problem returned to being remote yet we all got to see the horrors of war broadcast everyday. Those two issues combined and caused serious problems in retention rates and recruitment rates.
And honestly, I don't expect this trend to ever change, but we are in an enviable position on the face of the globe.
Our borders and coasts are pretty easy to defend...radicals can weed their way through, sure, but against invasions we have a very strong siege-like defense capability and attrition would be minimal because our entire economy would be forced to support it, and we would all be happy to do so in that case - just like WWII and the boom that followed. Of course, nukes are always possible... probably likely if an insane-enough leader got a hold of them.
I would be in favor of a requirement for civil service in general.
I highly respect - and even wouldn't mind becoming - a police officer, firefighter, EMT and all medical personnel in general, and I'm surely forgetting many other individuals. All government employees are doing good things to, as there are many job functions that need to be handled and are easily done by civilians serving in a government function.
Essentially, a good civil-service requirement for all citizens would include the option to perform in any role that is directly serving the public in such capacity as described above. And that would include the military.
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